Ballet Shoes and Bullet Holes
by JediDragonRider22
Summary: Tara Whittman grew up without a father. She knew she had one, but she never asked her mom about him. I guess she figured that he wasn't important. But when the aspiring dancer loses her mother to a fatal car crash, the 16-year-old is thrown into the custody of her father: Tony Stark, who up until this point knew nothing about Tara's existence. Rated T because I'm paranoid. REVIEW!


**_I had the idea for this story a while ago, so I thought I'd try it out. Here you go. PLEASE REVIEW!_**

Tara smiled into her cell phone. She was sitting in the back of a taxi with her mother.

"Yes, sure," she said, pausing for a moment before ending the call.

"Who was that?" her mom asked.

"Brian. He asked me to the dance, as if that was a question."

Ms. Whittman laughed. Brian had been her boyfriend for a year and a half now.

"How are things between you two?"

"Just as good as ever. We haven't fought in at least six months."

"That's good to he-"

She was cut off by a sudden skid of tires. The cab driver had slammed on the brakes.

The last thing Tara remembered was a sudden shatter of glass and the airbag blowing up beside her.

* * *

Tara woke up in a hospital bed. A nurse was administering IV meds. Her left arm was in a cast, and a bandage was wrapped around her head. She had a splitting headache, but other than that, everything felt fine. They must have put a numbing agent in her arm.

"Oh, good. You're awake," the nurse noticed after she finished with the IV.

"Where's my mom?"

"Um… There's an officer outside who wants to speak with you. He'll be in in a minute."

And just like that, she knew her mother was gone. She started sobbing. The nurse tried to comfort her, and she called in a psychologist, but the police officer came in first.

"Hello, Tara. My name is Officer Stephens. I was wondering if I could talk to you about some things. But if you don't feel up to it, I'll come back another time."

Tara felt silly crying in front of a law officer. She bit her lip and looked up at Officer Stephens. He was young, probably late twenties, with dark hair and kind eyes.

"No, it's fine," she found herself saying. "I'm Ok, really." It was a lie, but it was the best she could do.

"We need to discuss custody."

Tara nodded. She knew that this would come up as soon as she found out her mom had passed.

"Am I to be put in state custody for two years?"

"Technically, you still have a living parent eligible to be your legal guardian."

Tara froze. Her father. She would be put in his custody.

"We figured out who your father is, Tara. We have someone contacting him right now."

"What's his name?"

"Tony Stark."

Tara nearly fainted. Tony Stark? As in, _the_ Tony Stark, owner of Stark industries. This wasn't possible.

"To-tony Stark?"

"Yes, Tara. We were a bit surprised, too. But only a paternity test can confirm it for us for sure. He should hopefully be paying you a visit soon. Are you Ok with that?"

Tara didn't know what to say. She was speechless. Her father owned Stark industries?!

"Um, sure."

"One more thing. Could you allow the lab assistant here to get a sample of your DNA? It's just a saliva test, if that's Ok?"

"Of course. I want to know for sure."

* * *

The nurse came in three hours later.

"You have a visitor, Ms. Whittman." Tony Stark entered moments later.

Tara had to admit: she was a bit star-struck. This man, whom she had only ever seen on the news, was in her hospital room, and was also probably her father.

"Hello, Tara," was the first thing he said.

"Mr. Stark."

"The paternity test will be done in a few hours. We'll know for sure then, but if even the police are practically certain, I'm sure you're my daughter. My AI says you're a 97% match as far as genetic characteristics, so…"

"Alright then.

"And you can call me Tony if you feel uncomfortable calling my Dad. I know You've never et me before, so, that's fine."

"Ok, Tony. I'd like to ask you something." A question had been on her mind the whole afternoon.

"Shoot."

"How did you and my mom meet?"

Tony smiled. "I met Heather at a party. We were only together for about a week before I got called away and she disappeared from my life. But one week was enough to have you."

Tara felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

"What do we do now?"

"I honestly don't know. I guess I'll take you back to the Avengers tower. But it's not like I had a plan for what to do if your daughter randomly shows p out of nowhere." He paused and looked down so he could hold eye contact.

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Tara said. "My mom just died, my father just appeared out of nowhere, and I don't know whether to be feeling grief for her, relief that I'm not alone and have to be put in state custody, shock that your my father, or happy and excited that I get to meet you."

"That's quite the mix. I'll tell you what. You'll be out of the hospital in a few days. I'll see to it to set up a proper burial for Heather. I'm very sorry that she's gone. In the brief time I knew her, I found out how wonderful she was." He smiled and looked off into the distance, as if in a trance. He broke out shortly later.

"You can come live with me in the Avengers tower after we get the legal things sorted through. I'll have that done by tomorrow. There's just one thing, though."

"What's that?"

"Do you want to keep your mother's last name, or adopt mine?"

Tara thought about it. Her mother was gone: did he really want to give up her last name? She could remember her without it, but still… Would it only serve as a reminder of loss and hardship? She would be staying with her father now, living a new life. Did that warrant a new name?

It only took her a few moments to decide.

"I'll adopt yours…"

"… I'll be a Stark."


End file.
